Safety in the Community

This is a blog post by Dennis Debbaudt, the father of a young man with autism and founder of Autism Risk & Safety Management (link to www.autismriskmanagement.com)

Whether living on the autism spectrum or not, we’re all part of the human condition. As humans, we all need the essentials of everyday life. We all need to work, play and love. We need work that we take pride in. We do our best and reap the rewards of doing so. We need to take a break from work and have some fun. Sports, the arts, taking a walk in the park, playing a game, reading a book. We find activities we like and get a chance to smile and relax while doing so. We need to make friends among family, neighbors, classmates, co-workers and the people we meet along the road of life. And we need to feel safe and secure while pursuing these activities.

Addressing safety and risk can be accomplished by making a plan that meets our unique needs, then making that plan a part of our daily routines.

The ultimate plan will be yours to design with people that you love and trust. The goal? That everyone can work, have fun and friends in a safe and risk free environment!

This month, Autism Speaks has updated the Autism Safety Project and released new information on safety in the home, safety in the community, and sexual abuse and other forms of mistreatment. The Autism Safety Project also includes information for first responders and other professionals who may interact with children and adults with autism. Please consider the information here as a starting point for discussion! Visit www.autismspeaks.org/safety to learn more!

Autism manifests itself differently in each individual with ASD, varying in severity and symptoms. While there are often common behaviors across the autism spectrum, there is no single one that is always typical of an individual with ASD. This can make it difficult for a safety professional to react accordingly, which is critical for both a successful interaction and the safety of any individual.

Autism brings a whole new risk factor to child safety. Autistic kids wander. Some may not respond to their names being called. Some may be too trusting of strangers. Some may be awake at night when the rest of the house is sleeping. Whatever the issue, keeping our autistic children safe can be a nightmare but, thank you for the information you’ve provided us with.